The Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius) was a striking black and white eider-like sea duck that was never common, and is believed to be the first bird to become extinct in North America after 1500. The last Labrador Duck is believed to have been seen at Elmira, New York on December 12, 1878; the last preserved specimen was shot in 1875 on Long Island. It was thought to breed in Labrador, and it wintered from Nova Scotia to as far south as Chesapeake Bay.
Read more about Labrador Duck: Habitat, Other Names, Diet, Extinction
Famous quotes containing the words labrador and/or duck:
“A man is like a bit of Labrador spar, which has no lustre as you turn it in your hand, until you come to a particular angle; then it shows deep and beautiful colors.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn’t just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you’ve got to duck for your life and aim to kill! Words aren’t only bombs and bullets—no, they’re little gifts, containing meanings!”
—Philip Roth (b. 1933)